Electric-circuit-control apparatus



March 11, 1930. ,J. E. LONG 1,750,615

ELECTRIC CIRCUIT CONTROL APPARATUS Filed June 14, 1928 q; I Q I l! I 1 Il 1 .17, E,

INVENTOR.

nu i7 I IWM M A TTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 11, 1930 UNITED STATES JOHN E. LONG, F MULTNOMAH, OREGONELECTRIC-CIRCUIT-CONTROL APPARATUS Application filed June 14,

My invention relates to electric circuit control apparatus particularlydesigned for electric signs. Such control apparatus includes a tapewhich passes thru a quantity of conductive liquid, such for example asmercury. When control apparatus of this character is used with electricsigns and mounted within or adjacent the latter, it is necessary tominimize the amount of mercury escaping into such sign, because mercuryvapor tends to attack such sign and especially any soldered jointstherein. Mercury also isquite. expensive and it is desirable, to the endthat such signs may be operated economically, that the mercury losses beas small as possible.

The principal object of my invention, therefore, is to provide controlapparatus of this character with means for removing any liquid whichadheres to the tape after the latter leaves the liquid.

A further and more specific object of my inventionis to provide means ofthis character which not only removes such mercury from the tape, butalso removes any dirt or other foreign matter which might adhere to thelatter. That is, when mercury is used as the electricallyconductiveliquid, dirt or dust, because of its lesser specific gravity, forms acoating on the top of the body of such conductive liquid and the tapeleaving such body tends to pick up portions of such coating, which,unless removed, tend to clog the perforations in such tape.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and from the accompanying drawings. in which- Fig.1 is a top plan view of the liquid container, embodying the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 isa perspective view of one form of a top wiper;

' Fig. 4 is a perspective viewof a bottom wiper;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of another form of top wiper; and

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the form shown inFig.5. j

I preferably attain the above mentioned 1928. Serial No. 285,306.

objects by providing a series of spaced felt pads engaging oppositesides of the tape, the spaces between such pads forming mer curycollecting grooves and I arrange such pads or their bases to direct themercury thus collected back to the main body within the container.Refer-ring more particularly to the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 show acontainer adapted to contain a quantity of electric conductive liquidsuch as mercury. The container comprises a bottom wall or base member 10of suitable insulating material and having a series of rows ofconducting wires extending therethrough, the upper ends of the wiresbeing approximately flush with the top surface of the member 10, as morefully set forth in my prior Reissue Patent 16,809 dated December 6,1927. Thebase member 10 supports the side portions 11 to form therewitha container designated generally 12 which contains a quantity of,mercury or similar electrical conductive material 13. The container 12is preferably provided with a cover or closure 1 1 which is adapted tobe held in place by means of suitable thumb screws 15, the ends of thiscover 14 being suitably spaced from the ends of the con tainer toprovide openings through which a tape 17 may travel into and out of theinterior of the container. The tape 17 is suitably perforated ina'predetermined manner and is formed of suitable non-conductive andflexible material to allow the various circuits including the liquid andthe various wire terminals to be closed as the apertures register withthe wires. These wires are connected to means such as a series of lampsin a lamp bank, which are thus caused to be lighted to form signs,letters or other visual indications which may move or travel across thesign as the various lamps are successively illuminated and darkened. Thetape is held against the bottom wall or base member 10 by means ofrollers 18 and 19 which are rotatably mounted on members projectingdownwardly from the cover 14. These rollers 18 and 19 extend somewhatbelow the normal top surface of the base member 10 where the wirecontacts are provided, and as the tape is moved along under some tensionit will be pressed against the bottom of the tank to exclude the mercuryfrom between the tape and the bottom, and to permit the closure of thecircuits to the various wires in accordance with the manner in which theapertures of the tape register with these wires.

Adjacent the end of the tank where the tape passes. outof the liquid thetape travels over a suitable roller 20, which may be driven from somesuitable power source to cause the tape to move continuously through thecontainer. Between the roller and the roller 19 the tape passes bymercury wipers adapted to remove any mercury which adheres to the tapeafter it leaves the main body of this liquid. Mercury tends to creep andto stick to the tape in small quantities and its tendency to follow thetape out of the control box or container is effectively overcome,

and the mercury is prevented from leaving the container by means ofthese mercury wipers, designated generally 22 and 23. The wipers arealso eifective in preventing dirt or other foreign matter from adheringto the tape and tending to clog up the openings in the tape.

The wiper 23, as shown, rests on the base member 10 of the container andis constructed in the form of a. rigid back plate 24 of metal or othersuitable material having depending triangular supporting sides as shown.On the back plate 24 are suitably fastened a number of soft pads 25, 26and 27. of felt or other similar material, and between the pads 25 and26 and pads 26 and 27 the plate is provided with a series of holes 28 sothat the mercury may easily be returned through these holes to the mainquantity of liquid below them. This bottom wiper 23 is prevented frommov ing along towardsv the right in Fig. 2 in the direction in which thetape moves as it is positioned against the portion 29 of the wall 30,this wall 30 being suitably shaped to. protect the tape as the latterleaves the container.

The top wiper 22 is also constructed in the form of a back 32 preferablyof metal, and having an upturned front portion 33 from which extends anarm 34k which may be hooked into a small hole in the center of the topplate 14 at the end thereof. In this way the top wiper 22 is preventedfrom moving along with the tape, yet the entire weight ofthe wiper mayrest on the tape so that the felt pads 35, 36 and 37 provided on thebottom surface of the back 32 follow the. movements. of the tape andeffectively wipev off any mercury which adheres to the top surface ofthe tape after the latter has left'the main quan tity of the mercury inthe bottom of thefcone tainer. A small handle or knob 38, is preferablyprovided on the upper surface of the back '32 o increase the W ight f heper. and, to permit ease in handling, ins rtion; or removal of. the.wipcr- The i rovision of a.

number of spaced soft pads both above and below adjacent portions of thetape thus permits the effective removal of the small quantities ofmercury which adhere to the tape and permit the mercury to beimmediately returned to the main body of liquid. The mercury is thusretained in the control box and is prevented from traveling around theapparatus and interfering with its operation.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a form of wiper especially adapted to cause thereturn of the mercury wiped from the tape, to the container. For thispurpose the top wiper 40 has its base or back plate 41 slanteddownwardly at its sides to. direct the mercury back to the container andprevents the pooling of the mercury above the tape. The felt pads 42 arealso slanted diagonally across the back plate to aid the downwardlyslanting sides of the plate in returning mercury wiped from the tapeback to the container. The bottom wiper 43 is shown in Fig. 6 as curv-ving in a manner complementary to the slant of the top wiper.

While the forms of apparatus herein described constitute preferredembodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the inventionis not limited to these precise forms of apparatus, and that changes maybe made therein without departing from the scope of the invention whichis defined in the ap' pended claims.

WVhat is claimed is:

1. In circuit control apparatus of the character described, including acontainer adapted to hold a body of electrically conductive liquid anddevices for guiding a non-conducting tape element into such container,thru such body, and out of such container, the combination therewith ofa wiper for such tape arranged at a side of the path of such tape nearthe point where it leaves the container.

2. In circuit control apparatus of the character described, including acontainer adapted to hold a body of electrically conductive liquid anddevices for guiding a non: conducting tape element into such container,thru such body, and out of such container, the combination therewith ofa wiper for such tape arranged adjacent the path of such tape n ar thepointy where it leaves, the container, such wiper being loosely mountedin such container, the latter being formed relatively to preventdisplacement of the former.

3. In circuit control apparatus of the character described, including acontainer adapts ed to hold a body of electrically conductive liquid anddevices for guiding a non-cone duc g tape e m nt su h containe thru suchbody, and out of such container, t e comb na ion erewit o a v per fo sutape arranged adjacent the path of suehtape near thepoiut here itleaves. the onta ne such wiper being loosely mounted in the container tomove in accordance with the variations in tape positioning and adaptedto bear upon such tape with relatively constant pressure.

4. In circuit control apparatus of the character described, including acontainer adapted to hold a body of electrically conductive liquid anddevices for guiding a non-conductive tape element into such container,thru such body, and out of such container, the combination therewith ofa wiper for such tape arranged adjacent the path of such tape near thepoint where it leaves the container, such wiper being weighted andmovably mounted in the container and adapted to be gravityactuated tobear upon such tape with relative- 1y constant pressure.

5. In circuit control apparatus of the character described, including acontainer adapted to hold a body of electrically conductive liquid anddevices for guiding a non-conducting tape element flatwise into suchcontainer, thru such body, and out of such containcr, the combinationtherewith of a wiper for such tape arranged adjacent the path of suchtape near the point where it leaves the container, such Wiper comprisinga rigid base and a series of yielding elements secured to the face ofsuch base.

6. In circuit control apparatus of the character described, including acontainer adapted to hold a body of electrically conductive liquid anddevices for guiding a non-conducting tape element into such container,thru such body, and out of such container, the combination therewith ofa wiper for such tape arranged adjacent the path of such tape near thepoint where it leaves the container, such wiper comprising a rigid baseand a felt pad secured to the face of such base.

7 In circuit control apparatus of the character described, including a.container adapted to hold a body of electrically conductive liquid anddevices for guiding a non-conduct ing tape element flatwise into suchcontainer, thru such body, and out of such container, the combinationtherewith of a wiper for such tape arranged adjacent the path of suchtape near the point where it leaves the container, such wiper comprisinga rigid base and a plurality of spaced yielding elements secured to theface of such base, the spaces between such elements constituting liquidcollecting grooves.

8. In circuit control apparatus of the character described, including acontainer adapted to hold a body of electrically conductive liquid anddevices for guiding a non-conducting tape element into such container,thru such body, and out of such container, the combination therewith ofa wiper for such tape arranged adjacent the path of such tape near thepoint where it leaves the container, such wiper comprising a rigid baseand a ,plu-

rality of spaced yielding elements secured to the face of such base, thespaces between such elements constituting liquid collecting grooves,such wipers being formed to direct the liquid thus collected, away fromsuch elements and back into such container.

9. In circuit control apparatus of the character described, including acontainer adapted to hold a body of electrically conductive liquid anddevices for guiding a non-conducting tape element flatwise into suchcontainer, thru such body, and out of such container, the combinationtherewith of a wiper for such tape arranged adjacent the path of suchtape near the point where it leaves the container, such wiper comprisinga rigid base and a plurality of spaced yielding elements secured to theface of such base, the spaces between such elements constituting liquidcollecting grooves, such wipers being slanted to direct the liquid thuscollected, away from such elements and back into such container.

In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my signature.

JOHN E. LONG.

